58 PRIVATE HIRE AND TAXI MONTHLY
JANUARY 2009 TERROR... WREXHAM DRIVER’S NIGHTTIME ORDEAL
A woman taxi driver who was punched in the face as she was mugged by two youths has praised other youngsters who rushed to her rescue after her ordeal.
Nicola Hesp, 38, of Plas Madoc, was attacked after she had picked up two youths outside her taxi rank at JJ Cars, on Abbott Street.
The Wrexham Evening
Leader reports that as one distracted her the other tried to grab her money bag before the mother of four fought back, sounding the car’s horn and forcing the pair to run off with just the vehicle’s keys. Nicola is now keen to publicly thank a group of children who came to her rescue. They com- forted a shaken Nicola
and knocked on resi- dents’ doors and asked them to ring the police. Police arrested a youth soon after the attack - less than 48 hours after the incident a 17-year- old was sentenced to a 24 month detention and training order by magistrates after being charged with robbery and possession of cocaine.
NORWICH TAXI DRIVER ASSAULTED
A Norwich taxi driver has claimed the city was “Jekyll and Hyde” after he was viciously attacked after challeng- ing a passenger who left a half-eaten pizza in his cab. The grandfather of seven was beaten round the head with an umbrella before being given a “really good kicking” last month. The battered and
bruised 69-year-old has been driving black cabs in Norwich for four and a half years and refuses to be cowed by the assault. He spoke out to publicise what he claimed was the growing problem of late-light attacks on taxi drivers. He told the Eastern Daily Press: “Norwich is a Jekyll and Hyde city. Before 9pm it is beauti-
ful and you can have a peaceful drink in a wine bar before walking home. But I see the worst end of it until 3am. At times it’s very nasty. We are seeing increas- ing violence against cabbies in Norwich. We are all aware of it. Why should we have to put up with it when we’re just trying to earn an honest shilling?”
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The driver of a taxi who had his vehicle stolen by a man bran- dishing a blade has been left shaken by his harrowing ordeal, his boss said last month. The 32-year-old driver for A1 Taxis in Flack- well Heath was waiting for his next fare when a man approached the car and pulled open his driver’s door. Waving a knife close to his face and throat, the man stole cash from the driver before tak- ing the car and driving off in the direction of
STRING OF ATTACKS IN SOUTH BUCKS Amersham.
High Wycombe. Rushing back to the office in Straight Bit, he reported the details of the attack to part owner Les Cramp. Les was working the intercom for the driv- ers that evening and immediately reported the robbery to police. Police have released details of two more knife threats against motorists.
A man forced his way into a woman’s car at traffic lights in Cressex Road, High Wycombe, and a taxi driver was robbed at knife point in
DC Andy Powell- Williams told the Maidenhead Advertis- er:
“While I am keeping an open mind at this stage, it is pos- sible that these robberies are linked. I would always advise drivers to lock the doors of their vehicles while driving alone at night. If possible, pace your approach to traf- fic lights to avoid having to come to a complete standstill. “Taxi drivers should be alert and aware of this man.”
CAMBRIDGE CABBIE BEATEN UP BY MASKED GANG
A taxi driver had his cheekbone broken in a vicious assault by three robbers wearing Hallowe’en masks last month.
The 49-year-old, who works for Panther Taxis, had been called to pick up a fare in Cambridge when he was repeatedly punched in the head by the attackers, leav- ing him with serious facial injuries.
A small amount of cash and some personal
possessions were stolen in the beating. The trio then drove the victim to three different cashpoints where two of the offenders unsuc- cessfully attempted to remove money from his account.
John Raynham, direc- tor of Panther Taxis, described the attack as “outrageous”.
He told the Cam- bridge Evening News: “We want these peo- ple caught. One of our drivers was assaulted
and robbed and he is traumatised by the incident.”
Sid Couzens, chair- man of Cambridge Licensed Taxi Owners’ Association, said he was shocked by the incident.
He said: “There is the odd assault in Cam- bridge but nothing as serious as this.” Det Insp Adam Gal- lop, who is investigating the attack, has appealed for witnesses.
TERROR FOR PRESTON CABBIES
A Preston taxi driver was robbed at knife- point - less than 24 hours after a colleague at the same rank was allegedly shot at by robbers.
In the latest incident, the Millers City taxi driv- er was robbed of his mobile phone and cash at knifepoint by two offenders who told him they had a gun. Workers at the firm, based on Murray Street, described the robberies as “awful.” The cabbie, who lives in the city, reported he had been robbed at knifepoint by two men on St Paul’s Square last month.
Detectives are continu- ing to investigate an attempted robbery on
his colleague, from Nel- son, at the junction of Highfield Avenue and Watling Street Road on the previous week. In that incident two youths demanded cash from the driver, who reacted by reversing his car at speed, collid- ing with two vehicles. He says they shot at him twice. Det Chief Insp Des Coop, of the force’s major incident team, told the Lan- cashire Evening Post: “We are not connecting the two incidents at this stage, although we will explore the similarities between the two. “Although we cannot confirm that a firearm was used in either inci- dent, claims have been made to that effect and
as such we are treating the two offences incredibly seriously.” Taxi firms across the city have said each rob- bery highlighted that a new council policy, which makes drivers get out of the cab to knock at a customers’ door, could be danger- ous for cabbies. Gordon Riding, the firm’s operations con- troller, said: “I don’t know if the first driver will come back. It looks like in each case the robbers are ringing from phone boxes. We are fearful for our driv- ers, but what can we do?
“The new council policy could leaving them open to abuse or worse.”
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